So, here I am, a recent graduate. I finished with a bachelors in psychology. Towards my senior year I decided that I wanted to take a year off to work in my field in order to make sure that I am making the right choice. I decided to work at the University that I graduated from and was very fortunate to receive a full time job with good pay. Also, I decided to keep my current job (working at a hospital in the medical records dept.) in order to have health insurance and also extra money to pay off my 30K student loans. Finally, I have been working as a martial arts instructor since high school. All together I am working roughly 60-70 hours a week. I am used to hard work and I am not bothered by my hectic schedule.

Lately, I have been thinking about the decisions that I have made. Although I am financially stable I often become sad. I see my friends traveling and just enjoying their time off. They are just "living" life. I tend to always do the "right" thing and I am very concerned with paying off my loans, having health insurance, and working towards the next step. In the back of my head though I always wonder what it would be to be more carefree. I would love to be a photographer and just travel the world. I do not want to live an extravagant life but would rather experience what the world has to offer. At the same time I would love to volunteer abroad and just live a simple life.

So, for those who graduated college, did you have similar thoughts? What did you do? What should I do? Should I continue with this secure "correct" route or just drop everything and explore?

I'm going to put my two cents in without saying what I did.
Unless you have a medical condition or family history that worries you, I would throw some caution to the winds now while you are young and don't really need that insurance. I'd take that year off, but I'd plan it for a year from now. The good job you have at the U will be good to have in your resume for a solid year. I'd quit the medical records job in 6 months or so, so that you can start having a little fun and planning your year off. How can a photographer have no sense of having had some fun, some adventure?

You may become a photographer, or you may miss academia and want to go to grad school. Or stay in some foreign country picking grapes, or running a clinic in another. Good luck.

Thank you for your insight. I sure have had some fun with photography. It is the only thing that I look forward too when comparing to my other jobs. Maybe that should be telling me something. I just need to figure out what I want. I opened more than closed doors in college. I want a balance between having a job that I am passionate about and a job that can generate enough income to live comfortably.

Just when I was starting to think that everyone is a photographer and I had seen enough of them, I saw the works of Art Wolfe in the 'The Rotarian' magazine's annual photography issue. People around the world, mostly. Just shooting from unusual angles like above them is part of the appeal to me. He also does plenty of nature photography that I see on calendars. There is still room in the world for you.

Of course a major health issue and he is 100,000 in debt tomorrow.

Your friends who are " running around" are most likely jealous of your ability to have money and more.

So if you are working too much, cut out a job of the two you do. Take some three or four day breaks using vacation or sick time.

Do what you need to advance yourself.

I'm retired, and can look back and not regret the "safe" choices I made regarding work and a career, paying off college loans and the mortgage. Meanwhile, I was still able to pursue my dreams and make them come true.

Like you, I'm used to hard work and a busy schedule, and decided I would hate having to face unstructured days. I worried that, during retirement, I would just sit here and stare at the four walls, but that has not happened.

Certainly during these shaky economic times you can work in a career you love, pay your bills, and still do photography and be able to travel.

I am glad to read all of these answers. Currently I am very afraid to commit to anything (career, etc... ). I cannot make up my mind up at all. I do not know where I am suppose to live? What I should start first (career, travel, etc... ) Are your early twenties this confusing?

I am a very positive person and I know I will succeed in anything I embark on. I just don't know where to begin.

It sounds like you have made good choices so far and have had a successful college life.

Do you want to continue to live where you do now? (city? Rural?) If not, why not?

Do you want to work in the psych/medical field?

I went to college to become a teacher, and did that for a year, quit that to work at odd jobs in book stores, drug stores, hospitals, and finally for State Farm as a bodily-injury secretary. After being home for twelve years raising two kids, I went back to paid work in a library and teaching. That took me to a career in libraries, helped me toward being traditionally published (not self-published), led me to counseling psych grad school and library grad school, free-lance editing, and being a renegade counselor.

My point is, you don't have to "commit" to any one career path. That yellow brick road has lots of side paths, detours, and scenic overlooks, but no dead-ends. Live your life and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.

Wow! Thank you for sharing. I love how you involved yourself in various fields.

I am not a big city person. I love the outdoors way too much. I enjoy visiting big cities and just visiting new places in general. I do not want to work in the psychology field. It took 4 years of college to figure that out. Currently, I am interested in working in a college setting. I am starting a job at my University this fall to see if it is the area I am really interested in. At the same time I am developing my photography with the hopes of one day working for a magazine. But I feel less anxious about having to commit now since I can see that my decision does not have to be permanent. I recently have been offered an opportunity to manage the taekwondo school I currently teach at. I was nervous to commit since I did not know where I want to live or what I want to do. But like you stated, I should take the opportunities that are presented to me.

Thank you again.

I do not want to work in the psychology field.

But now you will always have all that psych information inside your head to help you as you deal with people and various situations in your life.

I am interested in working in a college setting. I am starting a job at my University this fall to see if it is the area I am really interested in.

Do it, learn from it. You will pick up new skills and also personal contacts that you can use in future endeavors.

At the same time I am developing my photography with the hopes of one day working for a magazine.

Meanwhile, be a freelancer. I hadn't gotten published yet, but I wrote plays for my Sunday School class to perform, wrote articles for the school newsletter (and the principal let me edit it when I kept complaining about all the mistakes in it), and came up with the idea of having my church's families put together a Lenten devotional booklet, pulled together their little stories and prayers, and put the booklet together for distribution.

Photography is just like writing. There are all sorts of ways to freelance, for fun and for profit. By the way, your public library has or can get for you books on how to sell your photography. The current Writer's Market tells about markets for photography, including magazines' needs and payments.

Who knows where freelancing might take you.

Great advice again.
I have been very fortunate to have had these opportunities come up. My hard work has paid off. I have worked for the college newspaper for 4 years. Afterwards I was offered a full time job for our local newspaper but turned it down since the college job seemed a smarter choice (free tuition, better pay, more room for advancement, etc.. ). I have been a freelancer at the same time and have shot weddings, senior portraits, and sold work. I also had my work exhibited in galleries and had 3 showings. Now, I am looking for that next step which I believe it to working for a magazine.

I guess anxiety kicks in when I have to make decisions that have an impact on my future.

Are there any other life lessons that you could tell a 22 year old?

Are there any other life lessons that you could tell a 22 year old?

It sounds like you are doing a good job with life without my help!

The main things are to keep an open mind about people, events, opportunities; have a support group to go to; and always be willing and able to spin negatives into positives.

Every opportunity you pursue will offer you all sorts of networking possibilities for future opportunities. Remember what I said earlier, "That yellow brick road has lots of side paths, detours, and scenic overlooks, but no dead-ends. Live your life and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves."